The Game
by Bazylia de Grean
Summary: Torment series, nr 3. Masters Keey and Ilya scheming again. No more Confusion, but another Special Delivery.


_Disclaimer:_ I don't ownDooku (sad, isn't it?), Ventress or Yoda. However, I do own Keey Spani and Ilya Bassel.

* * *

**The Game**

Jedi Master Keey Spani entered the quaters of her friend, Ilya. It was late, but she just had to discuss something with Il'. She needed some inspiration to… how had Yoda put it? Training meditation? Yes, that was it.

She opened the door and entered. "Comin', Il'!"

"Yes, yes," came Ilya Bassel's muffled voice. "Want some tea?"

"Of course I do," Keey was already looking through her friend's equisite tea collection.

"Could you make a cup for me too?"

Keey sighed. "I knew you'd say that. Yes, I can. I am merciful," added Spani, putting the kettle on.

"Thank you, Keey!" Ilya's voice was sweetened to the point of light mockery.

"Keep your thanks," decided Keey, entering Ilya's bedroom. "What are you so absorbed in?" asked Spani suspiciously, noting Ilya spread comfortably on the bed, some kind of electronic device in her hands and her eyes fixed on the screen.

"A game," answered Ilya, not even raising her head to look at Keey.

Master Spani used the Force to summon the device and watched the screen curiously.

"Oooh, Tetris!" she exclaimed merrily, forgetting the tea. Her fingers wandered towards the 'new game' button, when Ilya grasped her wrist firmly.

"No playing."

"And why not?" demanded Keey, "You played and I can't? What's that supposed to be?"

A slight smile appeared on Ilya's lips. "Our new plan."

Spani arched an eyebrow in a skillful imitation of count Dooku. "We have a plan? Since when?"

"Err… yesterday?" answered Ilya, thoughtfully.

"But I thought you meant a plushie this time…" Keey was baffled.

Ilya waved her hand dismissively. "Yes, but I thought we can be… what was the word? Merciful?"

Keey's eyes sparkled with understanding. "Don't tell me… Is this _that_ infamous game?"

"_The_ game, yup," confirmed Ilya happily. "It was quite popular in his padawan days, and in Qui-Gon's padawan times, and in ours…"

"Yeah, I've heard of it," dismissed Keey. "Never played, though."

"Pity," commented Ilya. "So now, the plan."

Keey sat herself on the floor. "I'm all ears."

"We send a message we want an armistice, and make sure one of us is chosen as an ambassador. Or both, but I doubt Yoda will allow that. So, we go into the Separatist territory safely… oh, relatively safely, anyway. We talk politics with him… And then we leave him _this_… And then the war slows down suddenly."

Spani regarded her friend thoughtfully. "You think this can make him cease scheming and strategy? You really do?"

Ilya shrugged. "I'm certain of it. There are legends among the recent players he was an utter master in the game. Imagine if someone broke his records…"

"I've heard his records were unbeatable, and still remain so," Keey pointed out.

Ilya nodded, "True. But not for our Temple hackers."

Spani blinked and the laughed. "Il', you foul creature…"

---

Asajj Ventress sneak towards the half-opened door to Dooku's chambers, then cautiously peered inside. The count was sitting at his desk, his whole attention fixed on a small device he was holding in both hands, his fingers pushing some buttons occasionally.

Asajj knocked gently. "Err… Your Grace?"

Dooku clicked something, then raised his head and shot Ventress an impatient glare.

"Yes?"

"You're in your room since yesterday evening, Your Grace, I thought maybe you need something…" explained Asajj unsurely.

"I am fine and, before you'll ask, yes, I have eaten. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you," said Dooku dismissively, and his gaze returned to the device's screen.

"But, Your Grace…"

"Dismissed," ordered Dooku curtly, and Asajj retreated.

--

Jedi Master Yoda was strolling in the Room of the Thousand Fountains, pretending not to notice two young human female Jedi Masters sitting nearby. Both women were in deep meditation, but their smiles were just… disturbing.

"Please, Master Yoda," spoke Ilya Bassel, opening her eyes and actually winking at him. "This was done perfectly to the very letter of the Code: by peaceful means, not doing anyone any charm, I would even call it compassionate and merciful. Oh, and we are certain to have a few days' break from the war, which certainly is something we can use."

"Right," aided Keey Spani, rising up, with her eyes wide opened and sparkling with amusement. "So, Master Yoda, I assume you do not find any fault in our logics this time?"

Yoda shook his head, but could not muster any real disapproval. "Fault, find I do not. Good idea, this time, you both had," admitted Yoda with some reluctance, and trotted away, his stick tapping a rhythm along the floor.

Keey was seated in a blink, closing her eyes. Ilya followed.

"Hey, watch now… left, left, left! Ough, change shape, you idiot!"

Ilya mentally eyed her friend. _Wow, that seems to be contagious…_

_Bassel? Shut up, will you?__ Right, my, I said _right_!_

--

_Right!_

Dooku followed the impulse and pushed the 'right' button, which resulted in a high-pitched squeak from the gameboy and ended the game.

"Damn!," cursed Dooku under his breath. Then he realized something. "No… Oh no, not _again_! Not _you_!"

--

Far away, in the safety of the Jedi Temple, two Jedi Masters laughed out loud.

"Keey, don't do this to him!" breathed Ilya, between spasms of laughter. "It's not… not… oh, Force…"

"And why not? You know, now that Master Yoda thinks we're playing fair…"

Ilya took a steadying breath. "But we never play fair, we just play to win."

"That's right," Keey nodded, content. "Let's just hope Master Yoda forgot this for a while…"

Ilya smiled. "Keey, please. Be merciful, let's give him some time to relax and have fun."

"Oh, so he's supposed to have fun, and what we're supposed to be doing, then?" demanded Keey, hurt in her voice.

Ilya patted her friend's shoulder reassuringly. "We're supposed… to make up another of our brilliant plans."

Keey brightened and smiled predatorously. "Fine, then. Enjoy your fun, Dooku, for it soon will be over."

* * *

_Author's note:_

Lol, this was actually inspiried by _Police Academy: Mission to Moscow_.The film is definitely nothing special (actually, more like quite far below average…), but I loved the scene with the gameboy :D


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